The daily search for a great bottle of wine. Or at least an affordable one!

2004 ESSER VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY

Thursday, 4/5, Little Rock, AR

Still
operating out of an almost empty wine cellar, I just haven't had a
chance to go to my "connect"'s store, I stopped by a couple of days ago
and picked up the 2005 Esser Chardonnay
along with the Chateau Potelle I wrote about on Tuesday. It pains me to
buy a couple of bottles at a time but I just refuse to buy quantities
at the Little Rock stores especially because I know what their wholesale
price is and what type of mark-up they are getting. A trip across the
river brings affordable and unique wines and I'll try to get there for a
stock-up as soon as possible. After the cork was removed, a glass
poured and a little time was allowed to pass for the temperature to warm
slightly, the nose revealed a little oak, vanilla and just a hint to
lemon. In the mouth the subtle oak and vanilla made for a very nice wine
and a smooth finish. Lots of body with this wine but not "in your face"
at all. Great finish with a nice lingering of flavor after swallowing. I
gave this one 4 corkscrews more for the flavor than the value. I paid
$10.99/bottle for this which is a little higher than I like to pay for a
mid-week drinking wine but as the article in the paper said the other
day, half the price of a bottle of wine is for Arkansas sin tax. Of
course the article was about the legislature trying to tack on another
5% tax on top of all the taxes already added to a bottle of wine. I pray
on a daily basis that the federal courts will rule in favor of allowing
out-of-state vineyards to ship into Arkansas. If that ever happens,
there is a lawsuit pending in Arkansas at the present time, I will start
having a good majority of my wine shipped in. Enough about that. I'm
starting to steam! Check out Esser Vineyards website if you get a chance
as the whole family involved in the making of this wine, and others, is
profiled. Sit Long, Talk Much, Laugh Often, Drink Wine!